Photo: Laura's Dad
Some of you may remember Laura. She was fighting an awful disease called hermangiosarcoma. Last week, she lost the battle.
Hemangiosarcoma is a rare cancer that usually isn't caught until it reaches the later stages. It is most commonly found in the spleen and affects the blood vessels. It is treated most often by surgery and a follow-up of chemotherapy. When diagnosed with this disease, if a dog lives longer than a year after the initial diagnosis, it's almost miraculous. Laura's family learned she had the disease on January 20th.
Laura and her family were determined to fight this disease in order to give her the best quality of life possible. They stayed on top of her treatment and even created a special diet to help combat the cancer.
While her time was limited, never did she falter in her courage and always trekked through the fight like a trooper. Laura helped bring awareness to a cancer that wasn't well-known. She handled the situation with grace and fortitude. She showed how life can throw obstacles in one's path but that you can still appreciate and love life wholeheartedly.
It's never easy to say goodbye, and even harder to say goodbye when your dog's condition is terminal. Although I never met Laura, I felt for her situation and cheered when she had her good days.
Her dad kept an awesome blog if you would like to learn more. My thoughts go out to Laura's family during this difficult time. She won't be forgotten.
Learn more
Laura's Blog
Laura's Struggle With Hemangiosarcoma
Rest In Peace Laura. I've never heard of that particular disease before; I hope she wasn't in too much pain during her last few months.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I had read, it seems like she was fed so well that she was very healthy and in high spirits for much of the time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame...she looks like a real sweet dog...
ReplyDelete